Nevada governor reappoints PUC chairwoman

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) — The Public Utilities Commission will stay under the same leadership through at least September 2017.

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval announced Monday that he'd reappointed Alaina Burtenshaw to lead the commission for another four years.

Sandoval first appointed Burtenshaw as chair in 2011. Former Gov. Jim Gibbons appointed her as a commissioner a little more than a year before that.

Burtenshaw has been with the regulatory agency since 1992, and served mostly in legal capacities. Before joining the agency, Burtenshaw had worked primarily on administrative law for a private practice in Las Vegas.

Her term as chairwoman was set to expire in September of this year.

The PUC's role is ensuring publicly owned utility companies abide by state laws while being able to make a profit.